“A region is an area on the earth’s surface which can be defined by one or more criteria.” Explain this statement with reference to example/s you studied.

There are six main criteria that define regions. They are cultural, physical, climatic, admistrative, socio-economic and urbanisation. In this answer I will explain how climatic and physical criteria can define unique regions.

Climatic region: Cool temperate oceanic climate of IrelandA climatic region is an area with an identity that comes from regular weather patterns over a long period of time. Within a climatic region, this unique weather pattern or system and its temperature, precipitation, seasons and soil and vegetation separate it from all the other regions. The main climate regions in the world are hot, warm, cool and cold climates. Ireland’s climatic region is cool temperate oceanic. Here temperatures are warm throughout the summer at about 15-17°C, possibly getting up to 23°C during the day. Temperatures are mild throughout the winter and 4-5°C in January. Ireland’s prevailing winds are the south-west anti-trades that blow from the Atlantic Ocean. Mountains and winds cause Ireland to have two climatic regions, the wetter west and the drier east. Mountains along the Sligo/Mayo/Galway coastline cause relief rain in this area and therefore higher precipitation levels of up to 1250mm per year. This is in comparison to 800mm in the eastern area of Ireland. Overall the Cool Temperate oceanic climate is a defining characteristic creating unique weather conditions in this area.

Cultural region: An GaeltachtA cultural region is defined on the basis of a shared sense of identity in the region, such as language. I have studied the Gaeltacht region in Ireland. In 1929 the Gaeltacht regions were officially established by the Gaeltacht Boundary Commission. To qualify for this, 80% of the population had to speak Irish. The Gaeltacht is now a number of small areas scattered along the west and south-west of the country from Donegal to Waterford. Although these areas are small, they mean a lot to the Irish people and are supported by the Irish government through grants and incentives. In 2002, the total population of the Gaeltacht was about 86,500 of which 61,150 people over the age of three spoke Irish. Today approx. 72,000 people use Irish as a daily language. Areas of the Gaeltacht include in the west of Ireland include some parts of Mayo, Galway, Roscommon and the Aran Islands off Galway’s coast. In recent years the Government has put in place several policies to protect the Gaeltacht region and the erosion of the Irish language. Radio na Gaeltachta was set up in 1972. In 1996 TG4 was established with some of the €28 million fund granted by the government. In 1980 Udaras na Gaeltachta was set up to preserve the Irish language. This shows the intent to protect the language and further highlights how culture can clearly defi